Improvement in cars for street-railways



ELLA L. DORSEY.

Improvement in Street-Cars.

Patented May 7,1872.

ATE EEIGE.

E. L. DORSEY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARS FOR STREET-RAlLWAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,449, dated May 7, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E. L. DonsEY, of the city of Washington, in the county of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain Improvements in Horse-Railway Street Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw- 1ng.

My invention relates to horserailway streetcars; and consists in the novel construction and arrangement upon either or both ends of the same of certain adjustable devices, by which a caboose or cabin-like inclosure may be readily formed for the protection of the driver or conductor, or both, from the cold or storm, as hereinafter explained.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car provided with my improvements; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of so much of the same as embraces these improvements.

As is well known, street-railway cars are now constructed with a platform extending from one or both ends of the same, and with a roof covering these platforms. The driver and conductor occupy these platformsthe latter, part of the time and the former, all the time-and are necessarily exposed to all kinds of weather, and in the winter season, especially, are often compelled to risk not only their health, but life itself, for the want of suitable protection.

To provide this protection is the object of my invention; and this I accomplish by constructing and arranging certain suitable devices upon the platform of the car, with which an inclosure may be quickly and easily formed for the protection of the driver, and within which he can have an unobstructed view and perform all his duties.

Fig. 1 represents a street horse-railway car, A, of the form or style now in general use, (excepting that it has my improvement,) with its platform B and roof C projecting at each end beyond its body. In constructing this improvement I hinge or hang doors E on each side, but outside of the sliding door D, which opens into the car, and on the inside of the front or dash F, place two uprights or posts, G, extending from the platform to the roof, and at about the same distance apart as the width of the door D. The doors E are of the requisite length to extend from the platform to the roof, and also of right width to reach from the body of the car to the dash F, so that they will swing out against the posts G, as shown in Fig. Gr, and thus form the sides of an inclosure. Their upper ends are provided with glass, so that the view is not obstructed, and they are also provided with any suitable fastening by which they may be held back against the body of the car or in position against the posts Gr. Between the posts G a sash, H, provided with windows, is so arranged that it may be raised to the roof C, and there held by any suitable device. as shown in Fig. l, and, when not in use, be dropped into a case behind the dash or front F. The height of this sash is about the same as that of the dash, so that when raised up, as shown in Fig. 1, there will be quite a space between its lower end and the top of the dash. This space serves as a convenience for operating the crank-brake J, as well as for passage of the reins and management of the horses. In order to cover it, however, when desired, a leather curtain, I, may be attached, by buttons or other suitable devices, to the sash H or the uprights G, or both; and this curtain may also be provided with an opening, a, for the passage of the reins.

By means of these contrivanoes it will be seen that the driver can, at any moment, form an inclosure that will entifel y protect him from the weather and yet permit him to see all about him, and also to manage the car-brake and the horses, and afterward, or during pleasant weather, have these entirely out of the way that is, the side doors turned back against the ends of the body of the car and the front sash or window dropped into its case behind the dash.

I am aware that an inclosure might be made of curtains with windows fastened and so arranged as to be rolled up during fair weather, and also that it is obvious that, instead of the doors and windows herein described,equiva- 2. As au improyement in street-railway cars, the doors E and window H, when constructed and arranged substantial] y as herein described, for the purpose of forming atempora'ry i11- elosure on the end of the car, as set forth.

E. L. DORSEY.

Witnesses:

JN0. KENNEY, H. B. MUNN. 

